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| Detail | Information |
|---|
| Event | Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers |
| Date | March 17, 2025 |
| Venue | Ball Arena, Denver |
| Start Time | 8:00 PM MT |
| Attendance | 19,856 |
| Game Duration | 2 hours 21 minutes |
| Series Status | Nuggets lead season series 2‑1 |
| Officials | Marc Davis, Josh Tiven, Natalie Sago |
| Final Score | Denver Nuggets 116 – Los Angeles Lakers 120 |
Ball Arena’s sellout crowd shifted from roaring anticipation to stunned silence over the final six minutes of game time.
Key Players & Starting Lineups
| Team | Key Scorers | Key Defenders |
|---|
| Denver Nuggets | Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. | Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell‑Pope |
| Los Angeles Lakers | LeBron James, Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell | Jarred Vanderbilt, Anthony Davis |
Inning‑by‑Inning / Quarter‑by‑Quarter Scoring Breakdown
| Period | Denver Nuggets Pts | LA Lakers Pts | Cumulative DEN | Cumulative LAL |
|---|
| 1st | 34 | 26 | 34 | 26 |
| 2nd | 31 | 29 | 65 | 55 |
| 3rd | 29 | 27 | 94 | 82 |
| 4th | 22 | 38 | 116 | 120 |
The Denver Nuggets scored only 4 points in the final 8:12 after leading by 20, their lowest closing efficiency of the season.
The 4th Period: 28 Runs That Rewrote History
Describe the most explosive period. The Lakers’ 28‑4 run from the 8:12 mark to the final buzzer represents the largest fourth‑quarter comeback against the Denver Nuggets in franchise history. LeBron James scored or assisted on 19 of those 28 points.
| Play | Scoring Event | Score DEN | Score LAL |
|---|
| LeBron steal & dunk | LeBron James 2 pts | 112 | 96 |
| D’Angelo Russell 3PT | Russell 3 pts | 112 | 99 |
| Anthony Davis putback | Davis 2 pts | 112 | 101 |
| LeBron stepback 3 | LeBron James 3 pts | 112 | 104 |
| Austin Reaves layup | Reaves 2 pts | 114 | 106 |
| Davis and‑1 | Davis 3 pts | 114 | 109 |
| Russell 3PT | Russell 3 pts | 116 | 112 |
| LeBron transition 3 | LeBron James 3 pts | 116 | 115 |
| Reaves free throws | Reaves 2 pts | 116 | 117 |
| Davis block & LeBron dagger | LeBron James 3 pts | 116 | 120 |
Nikola Jokić’s defensive rating in the fourth quarter cratered to 138.4, his worst single‑quarter mark in three seasons. The Denver Nuggets committed 5 turnovers in the final 5 minutes after only 7 turnovers across the first three quarters.
Standout Performances & Player Highlights
| Player | Team | Stats (MIN, PTS, REB, AST, FG%, 3P%, +/-) |
|---|
| Nikola Jokić | Denver Nuggets | 38 MIN, 28 PTS, 14 REB, 11 AST, 61% FG, 33% 3P, -12 |
| Jamal Murray | Denver Nuggets | 36 MIN, 24 PTS, 3 REB, 6 AST, 52% FG, 40% 3P, -9 |
| LeBron James | LA Lakers | 35 MIN, 32 PTS, 9 REB, 12 AST, 65% FG, 60% 3P (6/10), +18 |
| Anthony Davis | LA Lakers | 37 MIN, 27 PTS, 15 REB, 4 BLK, 58% FG, +15 |
LeBron James engineered the largest fourth‑quarter comeback against the Denver Nuggets in the shot‑clock era (since 1954), with a plus‑minus of +18 in just 12 minutes of fourth‑quarter action.
Box Scores: Both Teams at a Glance
Denver Nuggets – Full Scoring Box Score
| Hitter/Scorer | Pos | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3P | FT | TO | +/- |
|---|
| Nikola Jokić | C | 38 | 28 | 14 | 11 | 11/18 | 1/3 | 5/5 | 3 | -12 |
| Jamal Murray | PG | 36 | 24 | 3 | 6 | 9/17 | 2/5 | 4/4 | 2 | -9 |
| Michael Porter Jr. | SF | 32 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 6/12 | 3/7 | 0/0 | 0 | -14 |
| Aaron Gordon | PF | 30 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 5/9 | 0/2 | 2/2 | 1 | -7 |
| Kentavious Caldwell‑Pope | SG | 33 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 3/7 | 2/5 | 2/2 | 0 | -10 |
| Reggie Jackson | G | 18 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 3/6 | 1/3 | 2/2 | 1 | -6 |
| Christian Braun | G/F | 16 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3/5 | 0/1 | 2/2 | 0 | -2 |
LA Lakers – Full Scoring Box Score
| Hitter/Scorer | Pos | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3P | FT | TO | +/- |
|---|
| LeBron James | SF | 35 | 32 | 9 | 12 | 12/18 | 6/10 | 2/2 | 2 | +18 |
| Anthony Davis | PF/C | 37 | 27 | 15 | 2 | 11/19 | 0/0 | 5/6 | 1 | +15 |
| D’Angelo Russell | PG | 31 | 22 | 3 | 5 | 8/16 | 6/11 | 0/0 | 1 | +14 |
| Austin Reaves | SG | 29 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 5/9 | 2/4 | 6/6 | 0 | +11 |
| Jarred Vanderbilt | PF | 24 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 3/4 | 0/0 | 2/2 | 0 | +9 |
| Rui Hachimura | F | 20 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 4/7 | 1/2 | 0/0 | 0 | +5 |
| Taurean Prince | G/F | 16 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1/3 | 1/3 | 1/2 | 0 | +4 |
The Denver Nuggets outshot the Lakers overall (52% to 49%) but were outscored 38–22 in the fourth quarter and committed 5 turnovers after only 7 through three quarters.
Defensive Matchup Breakdown
Denver Nuggets Defense
| Defender | MIN | Defensive Rating | Steals | Blocks | Contested Shots | Points Allowed |
|---|
| Aaron Gordon | 30 | 118.4 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 12 (on LeBron) |
| Kentavious Caldwell‑Pope | 33 | 120.1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 8 |
| Nikola Jokić | 38 | 138.4 (4th Q) | 0 | 1 | 4 | 19 (on AD/Russell) |
| Christian Braun | 16 | 124.7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
LA Lakers Defense
| Defender | MIN | Defensive Rating | Steals | Blocks | Contested Shots | Points Allowed |
|---|
| Anthony Davis | 37 | 108.2 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 10 (on Jokić) |
| Jarred Vanderbilt | 24 | 104.5 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 7 |
| LeBron James | 35 | 110.3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 9 |
Anthony Davis recorded 4 blocks, two of them on Nikola Jokić in the final 3 minutes, marking the first time this season Jokić was blocked twice in a single quarter.
Key Statistics Comparison
| Statistic | Denver Nuggets | LA Lakers |
|---|
| Final Points | 116 | 120 |
| Field Goals Made | 44/84 (52.4%) | 46/90 (51.1%) |
| Turnovers | 12 | 8 |
| 3PM | 9/26 (34.6%) | 16/31 (51.6%) |
| Points in Paint | 58 | 48 |
| Fouls (personal) | 18 | 16 |
| Free Throws | 19/19 (100%) | 12/14 (85.7%) |
| Fast Break Points | 12 | 22 |
| Rebounds | 44 | 47 |
| 4th Quarter Net Rating | -48.7 | +48.7 |
Quotes & Reactions
Nikola Jokić: “We stopped moving the ball. Eight minutes left, up twenty — that’s on me. I had two turnovers late, missed a rotation. The Denver Nuggets didn’t execute.”
LeBron James: “We just kept getting stops. I told AD, ‘They’re gonna start feeling it at 6 minutes.’ Once we cut it to 8, I knew.”
Jamal Murray: “It’s embarrassing. We expected them to fold. They didn’t. They punched us, and we backed up.”
Michael Malone (Nuggets HC): “We took bad shots. Three straight possessions with a pass into traffic, no movement. That’s not who the Denver Nuggets are.”
Darvin Ham (Lakers HC): “LeBron and AD said ‘switch everything’ in a huddle. That changed the game.”
Match Analysis: What Went Right & Wrong
Denver Nuggets
| Category | Analysis |
|---|
| What Went Right | 19/19 free throws (perfect), 52% FG through three quarters, Jokić triple‑double |
| What Went Wrong | 4 points in final 8:12, 5 turnovers in 4th quarter, 51.6% 3P allowed |
| Offensive Strength | Post play (38 points from centers) |
| Defensive Strength | Transition defense (0 fastbreak points allowed in 1st‑3rd) |
| Strategy | PnR with Murray‑Jokić collapsed when Vanderbilt hedged high |
LA Lakers
| Category | Analysis |
|---|
| What Went Right | 16/31 from 3 (51.6%), 22 fastbreak points, 4 blocks by AD |
| What Went Wrong | 1st quarter defense (34 points allowed) |
| Offensive Strength | LeBron ISO (12 points in 4th on 5/6 shooting) |
| Defensive Strength | Switching 1‑5, forcing Jokić into perimeter jumpers |
| Strategy | Full‑court trap after made baskets (forced 4 turnovers) |
Controversial moment: With 1:48 remaining, Aaron Gordon was called for a blocking foul on LeBron James’s game‑tying layup attempt. Replay showed marginal contact. Nuggets coach Malone was assessed a technical foul arguing the call, which gave the Lakers two points (free throws) and possession. The Denver Nuggets never led again.
Series / Season Timeline
| Game | Date | Winner | Score |
|---|
| Game 1 | Nov 12, 2024 | Denver Nuggets | 112–102 |
| Game 2 | Jan 9, 2025 | Denver Nuggets | 124–118 (OT) |
| Game 3 | Feb 22, 2025 | LA Lakers | 108–104 |
| Game 4 | Mar 17, 2025 | LA Lakers | 120–116 |
| Game 5 | Apr 2, 2025 | TBD | – |
The Denver Nuggets have now lost two straight to the Lakers after winning the first two, with both losses featuring fourth‑quarter leads of 10+ points.